Pressure on Moroccan tomato production, which has faced multifaceted challenges over the past month, has culminated in a severe shortage of round tomatoes on the local market and an agreement between authorities and growers to divert more volumes to the local market rather than for export.
Production issues persisted throughout the season, with a particularly challenging phytosanitary situation. Shortages of winter tomatoes were anticipated and announced as early as November. The storm that struck the Souss Massa region in late February was the final blow, causing losses of fruit and plants as well as the destruction of greenhouses across a vast area of thousands of hectares.
© Krone F&V
Abderrahmane Zouhir, CEO of Krone F&V, explains the consequences of the storm: "We lost some of our greenhouses due to the winds. However, we managed to rebuild them through tremendous effort, facing a shortage of plastic and labor. We are one of the few growers currently operating at 100% capacity, with fully maintained and operational greenhouses. Many growers are still struggling to get back on their feet, and many have decided to end their season early."
The end of the winter production cycle is thus marked by a severe shortage of round tomatoes, which, in addition to the damage caused by the storm, have been susceptible to the ToBRFV virus and Tuta Absoluta. This is also the variety most in demand on the domestic market, which has prompted the Moroccan authorities to take action. To achieve this, officials have held consultations with growers' representatives and even conducted door-to-door visits to growers.
Zouhir reports, "Officials from the relevant authorities paid visits to growers this week, asking them to direct more volumes to the local market rather than for export. They came to see us as well, but we couldn't comply with this request since we don't grow round tomatoes this season, but only cherry tomatoes. The authorities' agents have, in fact, encouraged us to start producing round tomatoes soon to help alleviate this supply crisis."
© Youness Bensaid | FreshPlaza.com
The government's action thus took the form of a call to cooperation and amicable agreement with growers, rather than an outright ban on exports as was the case in 2023 - a decision that was heavily criticized by exporters at the time, as it resulted in the growers' failure to meet contractual obligations with buyers in Europe and consequent penalties. This week, exports to African markets, which are not subject to contracts, have been halted, based on an agreement with growers rather than an official ban, according to growers' associations including APEFEL and FIFEL.
"We're still harvesting and exporting cherry tomatoes to Europe today; there's no ban at all. Demand is currently high, as European growers, including in the Netherlands, are also facing problems," Zouhir adds.
"Prices for round tomatoes in Europe have also reached very high records due to production issues in Morocco and Europe. At the Perpignan wholesale market, for example, round tomatoes are selling for up to 2.45 euros per kilo," the grower concludes.
For more information:
Abderrahmane Zouhir
Krone F&V
Tel: +212 600-179737
Email: [email protected]
www.krone-fv.com
